Apache Tamaya: Use Cases and Requirements

Use Cases

Simple Access

Users want to be able to access configuration in a unified way both in SE and EE. EE may provide additional
mechanism, such as injection, but the SE mechanisms should work as well, so any code written in SE is fully
portable to EE as well.
This can only be achieved by providing a static accessor, e.g.

Configuration config = Configuration.current();

The call above should work exactly the same in EE. To enable this the static call must be delegated in the
internals of the singleton, depending on the runtime. In EE the executing component can behave contextually,
or even be loaded within the CDI environment (at least for post loading, application runtime aspects, but not earlier).

Additionally in EE it should also be possible to inject Configuration, which gives you the same results as the call
above:

@Inject
private Configuration cfg;

Simple Lookup of Properties

Users just want to create a configuration ad hoc, from given property files. The
files could be locally in the file system, on the classpath.

Hereby returning Java 8 Optional values must be considered as well, instead of returning null.

Value Placeholders

Users just want to to be able to add placeholders to the values of configuration (not the keys). The mechanisms for
resolving the placeholders hereby should be not constraint to one single lanmguage like EL. Instead of different
replacement strategies should be selectable, e.g. by prefixing an expression with the name of the resolver that
should do the work (eg "blabla ${env:HOME} using Java version ${sys:java.version}.".
This allows resolution mechanism to be isolated easily and also allows to use simpler mechanisms, if no more complex
ones like EL are required. This is especially useful to deal with low resource environment like ME.

Type Safe Properties

Users just want to access properties not only as Strings, but let Tamaya do the conversion to the required
or the configred target type. By defauklt all java.ui.lang wrapper and primitive types should be supported, but also
other common types like date/time types, math numeric types and more.

It must be possible that users can register their own custom types.

Finally users also want to be able to dynamically provide or override type adaption (conversion), when reading a value,
for a certain key/value pair.

Configuration Templates

Users want to be able to let Tamaya implement an interface template based on configuration.
This use case is pretty similar to the injection use case. Basically the values are not injected,
but cached within the template proxy returned, e.g. as DynamicValue.
Similarly it could even be possible to define callback methods (default methods)
or register listeners to DynamicValue instances returned.

Templates hereby can easily be managed, but provide a excellent mechanism to provide type-safe configuration
to clients in a very transparent way. Details can be controlled by using the same annotations as for
normal configuration injection.

Java 8 Functional Support

Users want to be able to benefit from the new programming styles introduced with Java 8. Configuration
should provide extension points for different aspects, where additional code can be hooked in easily.
In short: were possible functional interfaces should be modelled.

Examples:

code that converts a configuration to another kind of configuration: UnaryOperator<Configuration>

code that creates any kind of result based on a configuration: Function<Configuration,T>

Configuration Locations

By default classpath and file resources are
supported. But similarly remote access using a JSON ReST call should be possible.

Tamaya should define a JSON and XML format for configuration.

Configuration locations should be scannable using ant-styled resource patterns, if possible.

Scanning and reading logic can be modularized by using a ConfigReader interface.

Configuration Formats

Users want to be able to use the format they prefer.

properties, xml-properties and ini-format should be supported by default

Other/custom formats should be easily addable by registering or providing the format on configuration evaluation (read).

When possible Tamaya should figure out which format to be used and how the InputStream should be correctly
interpreted.

Multiple Configurations

When systems grow they must be modularized to keep control. Whereas that sounds not really fancy, it leads to additional
aspects to be considered by a configuration system.

Different code modules, libraries, plugins or products want to have their "own" separated configuration.

Similar it should be possible to add fully specific additional configurations.

The default configuration hereby should always be present, whereas additional configurations are optional.
Users want to be able to check the availability of such an additional configuration.

Of course, additional configuration must be identifiable. The best way to do is to be discussed, nevertheless the
mechanism must not depend on Java EE and the identifying keys must be serializable easily.
Basically simple names are sufficient and woukld provide exact this required functionality.

External Configuration

Users want to be able to replace, override, extend or adapt any parts or all of an existing configuration from
external sources.
This also must be the case for multi-context environments, where the context identifiers are
the only way to link to the correct remote configuration.

Context Dependent Configuration

In multi tenancy setups or complex systems a hierarchical/graph model of contexts for configurations is required, or different runtime contexts are executed in parallel
within the same VN. What sounds normal for EE also may be the case for pure SE environments:

Users want to be able to model different layers of runtime context

Users want to identify the current layer, so configuration used may be adapted.

Dynamic Provisioning (UC8)

In Cloud Computing, especially the PaaS and SaaS areas a typical use case would be that an application (or server)
is deployed, configured and started dynamically. Typically things are controlled by some "active controller components",
which are capable of

creating new nodes (using IaaS services)

deploying and starting the required runtime platform , e.g. as part of a PaaS solution.

deploying and starting the application modules.

All these steps require some kind of configuration. As of today required files are often created on the target node
before the systems are started, using proprietary formats and mechanism. Similarly accessing the configuration in place
may require examining the file system or using again proprietary management functions. Of course, a configuration
solution should not try to solve that, but it can provide a significant bunch of functionality useful in such scenarios:

provide remote capabilities for configuration

allow configuration to be updated remotely.

allow client code to listen for configuration changes and react as needed.

Minimal Property Source SPI

Users expect that implementing an additional configuration property source is as easy as possible.
So there should be an SPI defined that allows any kind of data source to be used for providing configuration data.
The interface to be implemented is expected to be minimal to reduce the implementation burden. Default
methods should be used where possible, so only a few methods are expected to be required to implement.

Scannable Properties

If possible configuration should be scannable, meaning it should be possible to evaluate the keys available.
The corresponding capabilities should be accessible by a isScannable() method.

Combine Configurations

Users want to be able to combine different configurations to a new configuration instance.
Hereby the resulting configuration can be

a union of both, ignoring duplicates (and optionally log them)

a union of both, duplicates are ignored

a union of both, conflicts are thrown as ConfigException

an intersection of both, containing only keys present and equal in both configurations

an arbitrary mapping or filter, modelled by an CombinationPolicy, which basically can be modelled
as BiFunction<String, String, String>, hereby

a result of null will remove the key

any other result will use the value returned as final value of the combination.

MX/ReST Management

Users want to be have comprehensive management support, which should allow

to change configuration

to remove configuration

to view configuration and its provider details

Adaptable Service Context

Tamaya should support an adaptable ServiceContext to resolve any kind of implememntation services, both API services as core
framework services. The ServiceContext should be dynamically replecable by configuring an alternate instance of
using the Java *ServiceContet+.

This decouples component usage from its load and management part and als greatly simplifies integration with
new/alternate runtime environments.
The service context is exptected to provide

single singleton instances: these service can be cached.

access to multiple instances which implement some commons SPI interface.

as useful priorization of components is done by the model itself.

Configuration Injection

Users want to be able to polulate configured items by injecting configured values. Hereby

the lifecycle of the instances is not managed by Tamaya

all references to items configured are managed as weak references, to prevent memoryleaks.

Injection should if possible evaluate the properties by defaults. Even properties without
any annotations are possible.

Users expect to exclude certain properties from calculation

Beside injection of properties it is also possible to call setter methods with one parameter similarly.

Basically injection is performed, when the instance is passed to the Tamaya configuration system. It should also
be possible to inject/provide final values, especially Strings. Changes on configured values should be
reflected in the current value. Setters methods similarly can be called again, with the new values, on changes.

Users expect to control dynamic values and recall of setter methods, basically the following strategies should be
supported:

inject only once and ignore further changes.

reinject/reinitialize on each change

Dynamic Values can easily be modeled as ConfiguredValue instances, which should have the following functionality:

access the current value

access the new value

access the latest value access time in ms

access the latest value update time in ms

evaluate easily if the value has changed since the last access

accept the change

as a shortcut it should be possible to accept the change on access of the value implicitly, hereby always accessing
the latest valid value.

ignore the change

register Consumer<DynamicValue> liasteners to listen on the changes (ans also removing them later again).

All observing functionality can be done completely asynchronously and in parallel.

Requirements

Core Configuration Requirements

General

Tamaya must provide a Java SE API for accessing key/value based configuration. Hereby

Configuration is modelled by an interface

Configuration is organized as key/value pairs, using a subset of functionality present on Map<String,String> as
follows:

access a value by key (get)

check if a value is present (containsKey)

get a set of all defined keys (keySet)

a configuration must be convertible to a Map, by calling toMap()

a configuration must provide access to its meta information.

Configuration value access methods must never return null.

The API must support undefined values.

The API must support passing default values, to be returned if a value is undefined.

The API must allow to throw exceptions, when a value is undefined. Customized exceptions hereby should be supported.

Properties can be stored in the classpath, on a file or accessible by URL.

Properties can be stored minimally in properties, xml-properties or ini-format.

Minimalistic Property Source

For enabling easy integration of custom built configuration sources a minimalistic API/SPI must be defined, that

is modelled by an interface

is a minimal subset of Configuration necessary to implement a configuration.

must be convertible to a "Configuration+.

Extension Points

For supporting more complex scenarios, Configuration

must implement the composite pattern, meaning new Configuration instances can be created by combining existing
configurations.

must be adaptable, by creating a new configuration by applying a UnaryOperator<COnfiguration> to it.

must be queryable, by passing a ConfigQuery to an Configuration instance.

Type Safety

Besides Strings Configuration should also support the following types:

Primitive types

Wrapper types

All other types (by using a PropertyAdapter

Hereby type conversion should be done as follows:

Check if for the given target type an explicit adapter is registered, if so, use the registered adapter.

If no adapter is present, check if the target type T has static methods called T of(String), T getInstance(String), T valueOf(String), T from(String). If so
use this method to create the non value of T.

Check if the target type has a constructor T(String). If so, try to instantiate an instance using the constructor.

Give up, throw a IllegalArgument exception.

Configuration Fomats

By default Tamaya support the following configuration formats:

.properties

.xml properties

.ini files

It must be possible to add additional formats by registering them with the current ServiceContext.

Mutability

Configurations can be mutable, mutability can be accessed as a property.

Configuration can be changed by collecting the changes into a ConfigCHangeSet and apply this set to the
given Configuration instance.

Besides the points above, Configuration is immutable.

Serializability and Immutability of Configuration

Configuration is modelled as a service. Therefore serialization may not work. This can be mitigated by adding
a freeze feature, where the know key/value pairs are extracted into an immutable and serializable form.

Configuration Combination Requirements

At least the following composition policies must be supported:

override: subsequent entries override existing ones.

aggregate-exception: key/values were added, in case of conflicts a ConfigException must be thrown.

aggregate-ignore-duplicates: similar to union, whereas duplicates are ignored (leaving the initial value loaded).

aggregate-combine: conflicting entries were resolved by adding them both to the target configuration by
redefining partial keys.

custom: any function determining the key/values to be kept must be possible

When combining configuration it must also be possible to override (file/classpath) configuration by

system properties.

command line arguments.

Configuration Injection

As metnioned configuration can be injected by passing a unconfigured instance of an annotated class to the
Configuration.configure static method:

Configuring a POJO

MyPojo instance = new MyPojo();
Configuration.configure(instance);

Hereby
* It must be possible to define default values to be used, if no valid value is present.
* It must be possible to define dynamic expressions, at least for default values.
* The values configured can be reinjected, if the underlying configuration changes. This should also be the case
for final classes, such as Strings.
* Reinjection should be controllable by an loading policy.
* It must be possible to evaluate multiple keys, e.g. current keys, and as a backup deprecated keys
from former application releases.
* It must be possible to evaluate multiple configurations.
* The type conversion of the properties injected must be configurable, by defining a PropertyAdapter.
* The value evaluated for a property (before type conversion) must be adaptable as well.
* It must be possible to observe configuration changes.

The following annotations must be present at least:

@ConfiguredProperty defining the key of the property to be evaluated. It takes an optional value, defining the
property name. It must be possible to add multiple annotations of this kind to define an order of evaluation
of possible keys.

@DefaultValue (optional) defines a default String value, to be used, when no other key is present.

@WithConfig (optional) defines the name of the configuration to be used. Similar to @ConfiguredProperty multiple
configuration can be defined for lookup.

@WithConfigOperator allows to adapt the String value evaluated, before it is passed as input to injection or
type conversion.

@WithPropertyAdapter allows to adapt the conversion to the required target type, hereby overriding any default
conversion in place.

@WithLoadPolicy allows to define the policy for (re)injection of configured values.

@ObservesConfigChange allows to annotate methods that should be called on configuration changes.

*@DefaultAreas" allows to define a key prefix key to be used for the configured key, if no absolute key
is defined.

Configuration Templates

For type safe configuration clients should be able to define an interface and let it implement by the
configuration system based on Configuration available:

Clients define an interface and annotate it as required (similar to above)

The interface methods must not take any arguments

The configuration system can be called to return such an interface implementation.

The configuration system returns a proxy hereby providing type-safe access the values required.

Similar to configured types also templates support multiple values and custom adapters.

It is possible to listen on configuration changes for templates, so users of the templates
may react on configuration changes.

Non Functional Requirements

Disclaimer
Apache Tamaya (incubating) is an effort undergoing
incubation at
The Apache Software Foundation (ASF), sponsored by
the name of Apache Incubator. Incubation is required of
all newly accepted projects until a further review indicates
that the infrastructure, communications, and decision making
process have stabilized in a manner consistent with other
successful ASF projects. While incubation status is not
necessarily a reflection of the completeness or stability of
the code, it does indicate that the project has yet to
be fully endorsed by the ASF.
Apache, Apache Tamaya, and the Apache Tamaya logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of The Apache Software Foundation in the U.S. and/or other countries.